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Did anyone ever try to make their own Big Shot cutting plates by going to the hardware store and purchasing acrylic or plexiglass? My husband thinks I could do this but I don't want to cause any damage to my Big Shot machine. I've already replaced my cutting plates 5 times, but I do use my machine quite a bit. Thanks for any help you can give me with this.
If you have a caliper you could measure the thickness of your plates and make sure you get the right thickness of acrylic from the hardware store. It would probably be less expensive. You could probably also use the off-cuts as mounts for stamps too.
The edges may be sharp after they are cut in the store. Ask if they can smooth or burnish the edges or, I guess you could always wrap the edges in tape.
That's a great idea - I never thought about rough edges. My husband also has a rouder and he would be happy to smooth the edges, if I decide to try this. Thank you so much!
I've never had a broken plate, but they do get so warped that it's hard to make a good cut, not to mention not being able to use my magnetic plates. Plus all the pieces of paper (when using colored papers to cut parts) that get stuck in the grooves and cuts that are all over my cutting boards.....sometimes my finished cut out die images that I cut have little black "edges" around them, from the colors on the cutting plates - especially when I have been cutting black pieces of die cuts. lol I do feel that I cut more than the normal person. While I don't sell any of my creations, I do cut out pieces for adult classes that I volunteer at as well as make items for my church's bazaar. I made a Christmas card once - I used the pine sprigs to make a Christmas tree. I need 16 of them and I made 60 cards. Thanks iamvics and to all of you who replied. I'll post on this thread if I do try this - hopefully I'll have a machine left!
Do a search on here or YouTube about baking your cutting plates to flatten them and get rid of all the paper gunk that gets in the cracks. I haven't tried it but it might work for you.
Just searched and baking them may make them brittle so check out The Fugal Crafter's YouTube. Lindsey scrubs them with a toothbrush and dish soap and puts them in hot water and bends them the other way to clean and flatten her cutting plates.
I asked my husband who is a tool machinist and showed him my big shot plates. He measured this with his calipers. He said as long as they were the same thickness or even smaller where you might have to use card-stock as a shim, it would be fine and not damage the big shot.
Of course my plates are wrapped and he is going to make me some plates this weekend. I trust him with my life (not sure yet about trusting him with my big shot, but I will find out tomorrow!!LOL)
Thanks Arlenevita. I did look at both of them previously and tried those posts; after all, what did I have to lose? I placed one in the oven but it did not flatten out very much at all and the one that Lindsay did - I did scrub them with a toothbrush and that got out some of the gook. However, using our hot water from the tap it did not flatten them out. I was thinking of placing them in boiling water for a while, then see if I can flatten them out. My oh my - what WE will do for our supplies! So much easier to just buy one! lol
I only replace my plates when they start leaving unwanted "embossing" on my cuts from the grooves that have been cut into them. To help with the warping, I just flip them over each time I use them. I've never had them warp so much that I couldn't use them, and I've never had one break. I don't think I would put them in the oven, since that might result in toxic fumes if I weren't very, very careful. They are inexpensive enough to just buy new ones when the old ones aren't usable anymore. (Approximately $8.99 for two + a coupon.)
LOL - buddy'smamma - that is so funny. When I spoke to my stampin' buds about this, they said it should work to buy the acrylic and I certainly don't mind using cardboard for shims. I sometimes do that now if I want the embossing to "pop out" a bit more. Our local hardware store will even cut them down for us, but hubby could do that for me, too. I hope it works out for you! I plan on trying them next week or so. Good luck and thanks for replying!
Scrapjanny - you are SO right - they really are not all that expensive to buy. I also find that I have "unwanted imprints" on the cardstock when I cut if the grooves are plentiful. It seems like we all have the same complaints. I tried the metal cutting plates from Cherry Lynne and they, too, became warped and misshapen in no time at all, although they did not ruin my acrylic plates - just mega warped. Perhaps there is no quick fix for this. Which one of us can figure out a new way/system so we can be on "Shark Tank" and present it to the world? lol Thanks again!
I know it can be done. I bought some that a lady made from acrylic plexiglass type of stuff. I use my religiously. I have the epic and when I bought it, it only had pad that was like a cutting mat. I needed the plexy type in order to use my Sizzix and couldn't find them here locally. I found a lady on ebay that cut them. 1/2 the price. So, I know it can be done. You'll just have to measure the depth of it and go find it the right size. You could possibly get the hardware store to cut them for you. You could get a decent sheet and make several pads and even sell them...lol
Oh, and your old plates... you can run them under hot hot water and re bend them back from a warp. The frugal crafter did a video on it. I think that the hot water helps mend the grooves a bit too. You can force smooth them down while its hot. I used a rolling pin. I only use one for the cut side and keep one that is always on the back side so I don't get those grooves in my paper.
Good luck. I would love to know how it works for you.
Last edited by Denverkat276; 08-01-2014 at 08:40 PM..
Scrapjanny - you are SO right - they really are not all that expensive to buy. I also find that I have "unwanted imprints" on the cardstock when I cut if the grooves are plentiful. It seems like we all have the same complaints. I tried the metal cutting plates from Cherry Lynne and they, too, became warped and misshapen in no time at all, although they did not ruin my acrylic plates - just mega warped. Perhaps there is no quick fix for this. Which one of us can figure out a new way/system so we can be on "Shark Tank" and present it to the world? lol Thanks again!
Your metal shim should never be cut on. It goes under one of your cutting plates. One metal shim should last forever.
I really like the genius platform and mats. They don't wear out like the acrylic mats do. JoAnn.com stocks the replacement mats now if you would need to replace one. (It was recommended by a teacher at Archivers she did all her class prep using it and the mats were still going strong.)
My husband cut me some plates Saturday. They worked perfectly!! In fact I used them about 10 times yesterday on my Christmas Cards. Loved them. Here is one of the cards that I used my embossing folder on with the new plates.
How wonderful is that AND your card is lovely. Please thank your hubby for his "input" in this and for letting us know of your success! I used to work in a machine shop (the secretary) - and I will try this too. Thanks so much for letting us know!
I too had grooves and tiny pieces of paper in my acrylic plates. I bought a new set of plates and labeled them for embossing only. Then I don't have unwanted lines on my card stock.
How wonderful is that AND your card is lovely. Please thank your hubby for his "input" in this and for letting us know of your success! I used to work in a machine shop (the secretary) - and I will try this too. Thanks so much for letting us know!
I asked my husband who is a tool machinist and showed him my big shot plates. He measured this with his calipers. He said as long as they were the same thickness or even smaller where you might have to use card-stock as a shim, it would be fine and not damage the big shot.
Of course my plates are wrapped and he is going to make me some plates this weekend. I trust him with my life (not sure yet about trusting him with my big shot, but I will find out tomorrow!!LOL)
Well, as long as you have your priorities straight... Thanks for the laugh!
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
just a side note - those acrylic plates are also wonderful to use for stamping background stamps. why by an acrylic block when they work so well. i also saved the pieces of my one broken plate to use as acrylic blocks.
I have replaced the original cutting plates for acrylic and plexiglass, and it works just fine. I have been doing this for more than a year now, without problem, both for my Big Shot and Big Shot Pro. If needed, I just use a card stock shim. This is the cheapest solution for me, living on a tiny island in the Caribbean, with no JoAnne's, Michaels, and 50% off coupons, you just have to be creative. Lol!!
Last edited by MikiMuisje; 08-13-2014 at 09:22 AM..
My husband is also a machinist. He points out that the depth is one thing, but the property of the plate material is another. Ask the hardware store if they can tell if the plates are acrylic or plexiglass, and buy the appropriate material.
To prevent warping, I store my plates in my Big Shot, flipped so that the arc is face down. The pressure of the rollers flattens the plates. Knock wood, my plates are 7 years old, and havent been replaced yet!
My husband cut me some plates Saturday. They worked perfectly!! In fact I used them about 10 times yesterday on my Christmas Cards. Loved them. Here is one of the cards that I used my embossing folder on with the new plates.
I got my Cuttlebug many years ago, and I�ve never replaced the cuttingplates with new ones, but always used the homecut ones in all these years, and they�ve always worked perfectly fine
It truly amazes me that someone wouldn't have to replace cutting plates in 7 years!!! I must be doing something wrong!
might be quantity usage. I use mine occasionally, not daily. I have my original plates having bought my cuttlebug in 2007. I make enough cards (average 2-3 per week and not all of those will have die cutting embossing) but no where near the amount that many cardmakers do.
ETA I also flip as soon as it bends and have only used 1 of the plates to cut into. I do have two other cut marks in the other plates but decided I would wear out one at a time and keep the others "clean"
Just searched and baking them may make them brittle so check out The Fugal Crafter's YouTube. Lindsey scrubs them with a toothbrush and dish soap and puts them in hot water and bends them the other way to clean and flatten her cutting plates.
I use a scrubber and soapy water to clean my plates---like the idea of a toothbrush, though. I keep flipping them over to keep them flat. It takes some time if I haven't kept up, but it works, especially if I position my die in different places around the plate. I have never broken a B plate, but did break a C plate tring to use a friends SU texture plate with the same sandwich as I use for my Fiskers texture plates.
It truly amazes me that someone wouldn't have to replace cutting plates in 7 years!!! I must be doing something wrong!
I only said, I never replaced them with bought ones, but always have used those homemade ones, and they�ve worked perfectly in all these years. I�ve never used other storebought ones, than those, that came with the machine, when I bought it, and ever since only used the homecut ones. Think I�ve used a cuttingplate per year probably
I only said, I never replaced them with bought ones, but always have used those homemade ones, and they�ve worked perfectly in all these years. I�ve never used other storebought ones, than those, that came with the machine, when I bought it, and ever since only used the homecut ones. Think I�ve used a cuttingplate per year probably
Definitely, I think it is Judith and myself that are on our original ones!:mrgreen: as I said I don't think time is a good descriptor because it doesn't indicate usage.
I have diecuts that are over 10 years old!!!! back when the cost to cut our own was so prohibitive.
I tried baking my plates and followed instructions to a T and ruined them. I'm better off scrubbing once in a while and flipping the one plate I use for the cutting base. Seems to keep it from warping. I never use the other plate for cutting, just as a top plate. If the bottom one ever "dies", I'll use the top one for cutting and get a new top plate.
Sue
I tried baking my plates and followed instructions to a T and ruined them. I'm better off scrubbing once in a while and flipping the one plate I use for the cutting base. Seems to keep it from warping. I never use the other plate for cutting, just as a top plate. If the bottom one ever "dies", I'll use the top one for cutting and get a new top plate.
Sue
I have 2 sets of B plates---one set for cutting (I flip and trade off) and one pristine set for embossing.
My husband had some plates made for me at this job. While they looked exactly like my CB plates, thickness, width and length, the very first time I ran them thru they broke in half. I don't know if it was the grade of acrylic used or what. Is there a grad you have to use??
cutting plates
